Means for cleaning castings and the like



March 24, 1931. w RG MEANS FOR CLEANING CASTINGS AND THE LIKE Filed April 3, 1926 Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE- WILLIAM B. GEORGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T J. A. MEADE, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA MEANS FOR CLEANING CASTINGS AND THE LIKE Application fil ed April 3,

My present invention relates to means for cleaning castings and the like.

As pointed out in my co-pending applicae tion, Serial No. 752,552, filed November 28, f? 1924, the process in cleaning castings, punchings and the like, is to dispose the articles to be cleaned in a mass in a tumbling barrel or rattling drum in sufficient quantity to cause the articles or pieces to rub against each other with considerable friction as the drum is turned or rotated, the amount of material disposed in the drum being suflicient to permit a rolling of the pieces over each other as the drum is turned. It is also customary to introduce into the charge of material to be rattled a number of stars or cleaning elements, as well understood in the art.

In my above referred to application I provide a cleaning element or device better adapted for the purposes for which intended than the cleaning devices theretofore provided.

I have now conceived the desirability of still further improving the ability and inherent adaptability of the cleaning elements to enter all recesses or cavities than can be cast in sand without the aid of cores, such as gear steel and the like, and I have now conceived the desirability of a cleaning device having this ability and these inherent adaptabilities which will not fall through the spaces between the slats of the tumbling barrel or drum and which will not lie fiat within the barrel, but which will always have its pointed ends better positioned to enter the recesses or cavities in the castings and which will in fact, better enter the cavities or recesses and with greater ease and less obstruction or interference, and a cleaning element that can be made from any material cold or hot.

The cleaning element of my present inven tion is a diamond-shaped member of hardened steel or other suitable material with its edges meeting at the far ends of the device at generally acute angles and the sides bent to dispose the far ends out of a common plane,

preferably at substantially 90 degrees to each other, although this may vary in actual practice.

The device is thus given a relatively great 1926. Serial No. 99,494.

number of cleaning points and the sharp points at the opposite far ends are particularly adaptedfor forcing their Way between the articles in the drum and into recesses or openings as small as it is in sand castings.

The device of my present invention cannot lie flat in the tumbling barrel. If it drops to the bottom of the barrel or is moved up against the side thereof with'its pointed far ends disposed against the bottom or side of the barrel or against flat surfaces on the material within the barrel, it will immediately roll over or'be displaced laterally and its clean-. mg points will always be in position to better serve the purposes for which intended than heretofore. With the angular base on the bottom of the barrel or against the side or apart within the barrel, the pointed ends will be directed inwardly for far better cleanmg co-operation with the castings or other parts at all times.

The bending or angular formation of the cleaning element prevents it from falling through the spaces between the slats of the tumbling barrel. Even if one point gets into such an opening, the cleaning element will, because of its angular formation and the ma- I terial' in the barrel, work itself back into the barrel instead of falling on through and out of the barrelas heretofore.

Furthermore, the bent or angular and diamond-shaped formation lends the additional function of making the device unsymmetrical so that it will travel laterally from end to end practicable to form of the barrel and automatically reverse its movement or at least travel irregularly through the barrel or drum upon rotation thereof and not continuously in the same path or same transverse plane without any movement back and forth through the barrel or drum from end to end.

The cleaning element of my present invention may, as already explained, be made of any suitable or preferred stock or material hot or cold, and I provide a generally improved and simplified method of and means for making the cleaning elements in large quantities expeditiously, quickly and eco-v nomically.

To acquaint those skilled in the art with the cleaning element, which my present invention provides, I shall now describe, in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, a particular embodiment of the present invention.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is an edge View of a eleaningelement embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a side eleva'tional view of the same.

Referring to the drawing, the cleaning element 5 of my present invention in its preferred form, consists of anangular piece of steel or other suitable material or stock which may be hardened, as desired, and which is generally diamond-shaped. The edges 6, 6 and 7 7 meet at the far ends 8 and 9 at generally acute angles there being a generally double point shown at the end 9 which is the result of the manner of forming the device, as will be hereinafter explained. The sides 10 and 11 are bent preferably to a substantially 90-degree angle, although this may major axis being of the order of twice the length of the minor axis for complete access of said star where the clearance is less than the major axis of said star, said plate-like body being bent on the line of the shorter axis so that the portions bearing the acute angles are disposed at substantially a right angle to each other. i 3. A cleaning star comprising two flat body portions of triangular outline lying in planes disposed at a substantial angle to each other and joined. together along adjacent sides said body portions having acute angles at their free ends at. A cleaning star comprising a relatively thick plate-like body of diamond shaped outline bent at the central part across the longer axis only and having complete access where the clearance is less than the longer axis of said star. j

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day of April, 1926.

WILLIAM B. GEORGE.

vary in actual practice. The line of bend l2 is shown as extending transversely across the device between the far ends 8 and 9 and connecting the blunter points 13 at the near ends.

The relatively sharp points 8 and 9 with the corners or points 13 are of great utility in the operation of the device. The relatively sharp points are particularly adapted for forcing their way between the articles in the drum and into recesses or cavities as small as it is practicable to form in sand castings. The bending or angular formation of the cleaning element disposes the sharp ends 8 and 9 out of acommon plane so that they will always be disposed in position to better serve the purposes for'which intended than heretofore, and this angular formation still better adapts them for entering small recesses and cavities witha minimum of interference or obstruction. The angular formation prevents the device from falling through the spaces between the slats of the drum or barrel and with the diamond-shaped configuration makes the cleaning element unsymmetrical so that it will travel back and forth in the barrel upon rotation thereof and will not continuously remain in the same transverse plane. v

The edges 6 and 7 of the cleaning elements may be substantially normal to the sides 10 and 11.

I do not intend to be limited tothe precise details shown or described.

I claim 1. A. cleaning star, comprising aflat platelike diamond-shaped body bent at the central part along its shorter axis only to approximately right angles; I w I 2. A cleaning star comprising a flat platelike diamond-shaped body the length of the ioa 

